Safety catch for cranes and the like



Jan. 16, .1923. 1,442,194.

I. D. THOMAS.

SAFETY CATCH FOR CRANES AND THE LIKE.

FILED JUNE 28.1920- 2 SHEETS-SHEET Erm /Q61.

Jan. 16, 1923. 1,442,194. I. D. THOMAS.

SAFETY CATCH FOR CRANES AND THE LIKE.

FILED JUNE 28, x920. z smzns-snzn 2.

f. A 1 E222 i Q: 9| I I I v l @l 0 31 l 9' Patented Jan. 16, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT" OFFICE.

rvon n. THOMAS, or CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, omo, nssrcnoa TO THE WELLMAN- snavnn-monenn COMPANY, or-oLEvELANn, 01110, A CORPORATION or OHIO. v

SAFETY CATCH FOR CRANES AND THE LIKE.

Application filed June 28,

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, IVOR D. THOMAS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland .Heights, in the county of C'uyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Safety Catches for Cranes and the like, of which the following'is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to a safety catch for devices or structures adapted to be moved along rails such, for example, as cranes of the semi-portal and other types.

With various vehicles or devices which are moved along a track-way it is Often desirable that they be prevented from tipping over laterally of the track-way. This is particularly true of certain types of cranes hav ing a boom by which merchandise or materials are conveyed from one point to another. With certain vehicles or structures which travel along a track-way lateral tipping can be prevented by providing on the traveling member a fixed device which projects under one rail of the track or under some other member extending longitudinally of the track and adapted to serve, as a guard to prevent tipping. But with certain other structures or traveling members this is not feasible due to the fact that they are required to travel over a track whose rails cannot be maintained the desired distance apart at all points. Particularly is this true with semi-portal cranes, such as are frequently used on docks for loading or unloading boats, for cranes of this type are supported on a'lower rail on the dock or pier, and on an elevated rail, usually at the side or on the roof of a structure from or to whichthe merchandise is transported, and in practice it is found impossible or extremely difficult to keep this upper rail in very accurate alignment with the lower rail.

To enable a crane of this type to travel along the upper and lower rails freely, it is customary to provide wide flanged wheels for engagement with the elevated rail to adapt the crane to the varying gauge. It is obvious, therefore, that a crane of this type could not be prevented from tipping by providing on the frame a fixed member adapted to engage under the elevated rail or a part extending lengthwise thereof without causisao. Serial no. 392,166.

ing serious binding at points where the gauge of the track widens. I

The object of the presentinvention is to provide for a crane or other member adapted to travel along the track an improved safety catch to prevent lateral tipping, and to accomplish this in such away. that the catch will always be in position to engage a part which extends lengthwise of the trackway, either the rail or some other appropriate member, without causing binding, notwithstanding any variation that may exist in the gauge of thetrack' The invention may be briefly summarized as consisting in certain novel details of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts which will be described in the specification and set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying sheets of drawings, Fig. 1 is a view of a semi-portal crane such as is customarily employed on docks for lar to Fig. 2,"showing a modification; Fig. 5

is a section on the line 55 of Fig. 41; Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing a further modification; Fig. 7 is a sectional view along the line 77 of Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing a further modification; and Fig. 9 is a sectional view along the line 9-9 of Fig. 8.

Referring now to the drawings, and first to Fig. 1, 10 represents a wharf and 11 a storage structure for merchandise or materials which may be transported to or from a boat. A semi-portal dock crane is shown at 13, having a laterally projecting pivoted are employed to engage the upper rail 15 so that the crane can be moved freely along its track notwithstanding variations in span, or disalignment at points of the upper rail 15 with relation to the lower rail 14.

In accordance with the present invention, the upper .part of the crane adjacent the upper rail is provided with one or more safety catches which are adapted to extend under a suitable stationary part, which in this instance is the upper flange of the. I- beam 16which supports the upper rail 15, to prevent the crane tipping over toward the boat, the safety catch being in some manner movably connected to the crane structure and being preferably guided by the rail so that it can yield laterally at the points of variation in span, but will always be in position to prevent the crane tipping.

Thesafety catch can be movably connected to the crane in many different ways, some of which I have shown in the drawings. For example, in Figs. 2 and 3 the catch 17 has a T-shaped head 17 which is supported by rollers 18 journaled in members 19 ex tending transversely between a pair of spaced channels 20 of the crane sill. This catch has a pair of rollers 21 which are on opposite sides of the head of the upper track rail 15 on which the crane is partially supported, and additionally it is provided with a lower hook-shaped portion 1'7 which is underthe upper flange of the I-beam 16 supporting the rail 15. it will be seen,

' therefore, that at the points of disalignrnent of the rail 15, the catch 17 Will be moved to the right or left by engagement of one of the rollers 21 with the head of the rail 15, and the catch will never bind on the rail 15 or I-beam 16 though the lower part of the catch is always in position to prevent the crane tipping.

In Figs. 4 and 5 I have shown a catch 22 which is'pivotally supported from the sill by parallel links 23, this catch being guided. or shifted by the rollers 21, and having a lower hook-shaped portion 22 which projects under the upper flange of the L beam 16, but will not bind or engage the edge of the flange when the crane is being transported along the track-way due to the fact that the rollers 21 will swing or catch inwardly or outwardly at the points of disalignment of the rail 15 with respect to the lower rail.

In Figs. 6 and 7 the catch 24- has a head 24 which is slidingly disposed in guide members 25 supported by the sill. This catch has portions 2 1 disposed on opposite sides of the head of the rail 15, so that the catch will be shifted laterally in one direction or the other at the points of disalignment of the rail 15, and the catch has a lower hook-shaped portion 24 which isbeneath the flange of the I-beam 16 as in the preceding instances. This catch will be caused to slide back and forth in the guideways 25 by the engagement of the portions 24. with the rail.

In Figs. 8 and 9 substantially the same results are secured by a catch 26 which at its upper end is pivotallysupported on 21 pin 27 supported in members '28 extending transversely between the channels of the sill. Directly beneath the supporting pin the catch has portions 26 which are on opposite sides of the head of the rail 15, and at the points of disalignmentof-the latter swing the catch 26 in one direction or the other, the lower hook-shaped portion 26 of the catch being thus maintained at all times beneath the flange of the I-beam, and no binding of the catch against the edge of the flange of the I-beam can occur.

Above 1 have shown various forms of safety catches and various ways in which they can be moved and mounted to effect the desired results, but I do not wish to be confined to any of the formsof the catch It will be noted by reference to Fig. *1

that the safety catch which is designated 17 in. this figure,.is on the outer side of the I- beam 16. lVith this arrangement the hookshaped portion of the catch will engage underneath theouter flange of the 'I-beam to prevent tipping, the lower part of the catch being all times sufliciently close to*- the flange to accomplish, this purpose. Of course the catch can be placed on the inner side of the I-beam providing there is clear' ance for the catch for the full length of the I-beam between the latterand the adjacent wall of the building. 1

Having described my infvention l claim:

1. In combination with a crane or other 1 movable structure adapted to' be -moved along a track-way, a safety catch having-a portion adapted to engage a stationary'part along the track-way to prevent the structure tipping, and being movably supported on the structure so that it will not bind'on any stationary part along the track-way while the structure is being moved, said catch being normally out of engagement with said stationary part but adapted in all positions thereof to, engage said part upon tipping of said structure;

2. The combination with a crane or the like adapted to be moved along a track-way,

of a safety catch carried by the movable structure and mounted thereon for movement laterally of one of the'rails-of the track-way, and provided With a part adapted to engage a stationary part extending along the track-way to prevent tipping, and with a second part adapted to engage a rail to shift the catch and compensate for misalignment of the rail.

3. In combination with a movable structure having wheels adapted to engage a track-way, a safety catch adapted to prevent the structure tipping laterally of the track-way, said catch being movably supported on said structure so that a part thereof can move laterally with respect to a rail of the trackway, and provided with guide portions which are on opposite sides of the rail, and with a portion adapted to engage a stationary part extending along the trackway to prevent the structure tipping.

4. The combination with a crane, of a,

track-way therefor comprising two rails along which the crane is adapted to travel, of a safety catch movably connected to, the crane, and having a hook-shaped portion for preventing tipping adapted to engage a stationary part extending along the trackway, and having also a portion. for engaging the track at a misaligned point thereof so as to prevent the hook shaped portion binding on the stationary part.

5. The combination with a semiportal crane and a track-way therefor including a lower rail and an elevated rail, of a safety catch movably supported by the crane structure and having parts on opposite sides of the elevated rail so as to move the catch laterally at points of disalignment of the rail with respect to the lower rail, and having a portion adapted to engage an appropriate stationary part to prevent the crane tipping.

6. A safety catch for acrane or other movable structure adapted to be moved along a trackway, comprising a member adapted to be connected to said structure so as to have a limited free movement laterally wlth respect thereto, said member having-a portion for guiding said member with re spect to said trackway, saidmember also having means engageable with'a stationary part along the trackway to prevent tipping of said structure. g

7. The combination with a crane or other movable structure adapted to be moved along a trackway, of a member mounted on said structure and movable laterally with respect thereto, said member having means engageablev with a rail of said trackway for guiding said member, said member having .also' a hook engageable with a stationary part along the trackway to prevent tipping of said structure.

8. The combination with a crane or other movable structure adapted to be moved along a trackway, of a member movably connected to said structure, said member having a part engageable with a stationary In testimony whereof, I hereunto aflix my a signature.

ivon 1). THOMAS. 

